Acetylene-gas generator.



BATENTED MAR. 8, 1908.

H. S. & B. STONER.

AGBT YLBNE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1907.

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WITNESSES:

1w: "cums PETERS 60-. WASHINGTON, 0,1.

ATTORNEY No. 880,763. PATENTED MAR. s; 1908.

H. s. & B. STONBR. AGBTYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, 1907.

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iWCILJML ATTIJRN'EY n1: "cums PETERS cc, WASHINGTON. 11.x;

PATENTBD MAR. 3, 1908.

H. S. 5: B. STONER. AGBTYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

. APPLICATION FILED mm: 7.1907.

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WITNESSES ATTORNEY nu: NORRIS PETERS 1.0. wAs HA'cTaN. u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ACETYLENE-G-AS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed June 7- 1907. Serial No. 377-714.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARVEY S. STONER and BURTON STONER, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Massillon, county of Stark, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators, and it has for its chief object to provide a simple, efiicient and comparatively inexpensive generator of that class in which the feeding of the calcium carbid is automatically controlled for generating gas as needed.

A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned in which a substantially uniform gas-pressure, or volume of gas, is maintained, resulting in an unusually steady light being provided.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus which, while it is particularly adapted for domestic lighting, is also applicable to lighting on a more extensive scale.

With these and other objects in view, the invention finally consists in the particular construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being herein had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 1, showing the carbid-feeder partly in end elevation and partly in broken section; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views respectively taken on the lines 44, 55 and 6-6, Fig. 1 Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the feeder Fig. 8 is a similar view of-the free end of the lever, showing the safety-clip thereon; andFig. 9 is a perspective view of the adjustable guide.

Referring to said drawings, in which like reference-numerals designate like parts throughout the several views1 indicates the generator, 2 the carbid-holder, 3 the gasometer, and 4 the vertically-movable bell of the gasometer.

The carbid-holder 2, which is preferably rectangular in form, is mounted directly upon the top of the generator 1 and has its top normally closed by a gas-tight cap or cover 5. Rigidly mounted in the lower part of said carbid-holder is a hopper 6 which terminates at its lower end in a horizontallydirected discharge-mouth 7 which fits within a circular opening 8 provided in the side of a rotatable carbid-feeder 9, an annular collar 10 being fixed about the mouth of said hopper and serving as a bearing on which said feeder rotates. Said feeder, which normally stands in a substantially horizontal or non-discharging position parallel to one of the sides of the carbid-holder 2, is of tapered horn-like formation, and is adapted, when slightly rotated forward, to discharge a portion of the carbid contained therein from its mouth 11 into the generator 1, an opening 12 being provided in the top of the latter. A funnel-shaped tube 13, depending from the top of said generator and having its lower end submerged in the water contained in said generator, serves to direct the charge of carbid upon the top of an appropriatelysupported cone 14 by means of which said charge is distributed. Said cone not only serves as a distributer for the carbid, but, being of a relatively greater Width at its bottom than the lower end of the tube 13, also serves to effectually prevent gas-bubbles generated in the tank from rising into the carbid-holder through said tube, this latter being a most desirable feature since the collection of gas or moisture in the carbidholder results in a deterioration of the carbid contained therein.

The gas produced in the generator passes to the gasometer 3 through a connecting pipe 15 the discharge end of which is located above the water levelthat is, in the gas zone-of the gasometer.

The bell 4, which is vertically movable With respect to the tank-portion of the gasometer with the fluctuations in the gassupply, has rigidly attached to its top the horizontal terminal 16 of a guide-arm 17 the body of which stands vertical and is parallel to the face of the gasometer, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6, and is guided in its movements as carried by said bell by the outwardly-extending prongs 18 of an adjustable guide 19, said prongs embracing opposite edges of said guide-arm. The guide 19 consists of a heavy Wire loop, the parallel members 20 of which carry said prongs l8, and it is attached to the tank-portion of the gasometer by means of a bolt 21 which is projected outwardly between said members and has a securing-nut 22 thereon.

I The guide-arm 17 is bent to form a yokelike loop 23 at its upper end, and within said diate its ends to a bar 26 and has its opposite end pivotally connected to a pitman 27 which latter is in turn pivotally connected to the end of a crank-arm 28 carried by a shaft 29. Said shaft is projected through the side of the carbid-holder, a suitable boxing, as 30,

being provided therefor, and is rigidly at.

tached to the feeder 9 on the side thereof oppositeto the circular opening 8, said boX- ing 30 serving as a bearing for said feeder.

The lever 24, the free end of which is held. within the loop 23 of the guide-arm 17, has no direct connection with said loop or with any part of the gasometer, but is normally held between the upper or cross member of said loop and a bolt or pin 31 projected across said loop, and is adapted to be carried in the upward movement of the bell 4 by said pin 31 and in its downward movement by said upper or cross member of said loop.

' The-front end of said lever is therefore raised and lowered with the ascent and descent of said bell, and, through the intermediate mechanism, the feeder 9 is operated, being tipped downward into discharging position by the descent of the bell below a predeter- -mined point and being again upraised to its normalposition by the elevation of said bell.

As a means of preventing the disarrangement of the mechanism by the elevation of the free end of the lever beyond the point necessary to produce the complete tipping of the feeder 9, the bolt or pin 31 is so positioned that it will become disengaged from and slip bythe end of the lever when the'limit of its proper elevation is reached. In order to provide'for the return of said bolt or pin 31 by the end of the lever after the former has been elevated above the latter, a clip or rocker '32 of clevisor yoke-shape is pivoted at 33 to the end of said lever, said rocker projecting beyond the end of said lever, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 8. The said bolt or pin in descending engages, the pro jecting end of said clip, and the latter, swinging upon its pivot 33, is thereby tipped downward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '8, allowing said bolt to pass thereby. The cross member of the loop 23 then engages the end of the lever, carrying the latter downward therewith. For preventing the swinging of the clip 32 upward out of alinement with the lever, a notch or'notches 34 is or are provided in the under side or sides of the clip-member or members near the ,rear end thereof for the reception of a stud or studs 35 carried by said lever.

Thebar 26, upon which the lever 24 is pivotally mounted, is stationary, being bolted at one end to a suitable bracket 36 carried by the carbid-holder 1 and at its opposite end to the tank-portion of the gasometer. A slight variation in the spacing apart of the generator and the gasometer is admitted by the provision of a slot 37 in the gasometerend of said bar 26. The bolt 21 on which the guide 19 is mounted serves as the securing bolt for the end of said bar, the latter being held between the gasometer-wall and said guide.

The service-pipe 38 has its entrance end in the gas zone of the gasometer, as shown. As a means of eliminating any possibility of the bell 4 being elevated to a dangerous height with respect to the tank-portion of thegasometer, an escape-pipe 39 is provided, said pipe rising vertically into thegas zone of the gasometer and being embraced by a relatively larger pipe 40 which depends from the top of said bell to a point near the lower end of the latter. As is obvious, when the bell is elevated to a point where the lower end of said pipe 40 clears the water, the gas from said gas zone rushes outward to the atmos phere through said escape-pipe 39, thus immediately reducing the volume of gas and effecting a resultant lowering of the bell.

' A water-bowl 41 is mounted on the side of the gasometer through which the latter is supplied with water, the opening into the tank being for an obvious reason located below the normal water-level. Provision is made for supplying the generator with water by mounting a pipe 42, having a funnelshaped mouth 43, in the side thereof below its normal water-level. Said pipe 42 has a valve 44 therein by means of which said pipe is closed against the escape of the gas generated in said generator as it rises through the water.

An inclined. false bottom 45 is preferably employed in the generator'for directing the spent carbid to apoint from which it maybe readily drained off with the water through avalve or drain-cock 46.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a self-controlled acetylene generator is pro vided which is extremely simple in itsconstruction and which has but few'parts to become out of order.

It will be noted that various slight changes may be resorted to without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention and without departing from the general spirit or scope of the appended claims. Hence we do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described. l

Having thus describedour invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by "Letters Patent, is

1. In an acetylene generator, the combination of a carbid-holder, a generator and a gasometer, a feed device located within said carbid-holder, said device comprising a hopper, a rotatable feeder in open communication with the discharge-end of said hopper pivoted for admitting of the unobstructed and rotatable about said discharge-end, said feeder being of a tapered horn-like formation and normally standing in a nondischarging position, and means intermediate the movable member of said gasometer and said feeder whereby the partial rotation of the latter is effected, said means comprising a guide arm carried by said movable member, an adjustable guide for said arm, a stationary bar having one end mounted upon the carbid-holder and the other to a fixed part of the gasometer, a lever pivotally mounted upon said bar, one end of said lever carrying a pivoted clip and having connection with the movable member of the gasometer, and means intermediate the opposite end of said lever and the feeder whereby motion is communicated to the latter.

2. In an acetylene generator, the combi nation with a feeder and the movable bell of a gasometer, of a guide-arm carried by said bell, said arm being bent to form a loop at its upper end, a pivoted lever having one end loosely held within said loop, a pin projected across said loop for engaging and carrying said lever upward with the upward movement of said bell, said pin being positioned to disengage itself from said lever at a predetermined point in the upward movement, a clip carried by said lever, said clip being descent thereby of said pin, and means intermediate said lever and said feeder whereby the movement of the latter to and from charge-discharging position is controlled by the movements of the former.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a feeder and a gasometer, of intervening mechanism whereby fluctuations in the volume of gas contained in said gasometer between predetermined points propels said feeder to and from charge-discharging position, said mechanism including a pivoted lever, a guide-arm carried by the movable member of said gas ometer, a loop formed at the top of said guidearm, a pin projected across said loop, said lever being normally held between said pin and the top of said loop and said pin being positioned to pass from under said lever at a l predetermined point in the ascent of said movable member, and means whereby the passage of said pin by the end of said lever with the descent of said member is admitted.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a feeder and a gasometer, of intervening mechanism whereby fluctuations in the volume of gas contained in said gasometer between predetermined points propels said feeder to and from discharging position, said mechanism including a pivoted lever, a guide-arm carried by the movable member of said gasometer, a loop formed at the top of said guide-arm, a pin projected across said loop, said lever being normally held between said pin and the top of said loop, and said pin being positioned to pass from under said lever ,at a predetermined point in the ascent of said movable member, and a pivoted clip carried by the end of said lever whereby the downward passage of said pin by the end of said lever is admitted.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a feeder and a gas.- ometer, of intervening mechanism whereby fluctuations in the volume of gas contained in the gasometer between predetermined points propels said feeder to and from chargedischarging position, said mechanism including a pivoted lever, a guide-arm carried by the movable member of said gasometer, a

loop formed at the top of said guide-arm, a

pin projected across said loop, said lever being normally held between said pin and the top of said loop, and saidpin being positioned to pass from under said lever at a predetermined point in the ascent of said movable member, a pivoted clip carried by the end of said lever whereby the downward passage of said pin by the end of said lever is admitted, and an adjustable guide for said guide-arm. v

In testimony whereof we affiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY S. STONER. BURTON STONER. WVitnesse's BERTHA LIPPs, JOHN C. GINTHER. 

